Table concentrator



Dec. 29 1925.

A. H. STEBBINS TABLE CONCENTRATOR Filed Nov 2 Sheets-Sheet //Vl/f/VTO/? Wadi/am ATTORNEY Dec. 29' 925 1,567,552

A. H. STEBBINS TABLE CONCENTRATOR Filed Nov. 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTO/P'NEY Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNIT STATES A'LBERT H. STEBBINS, 013' LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TABLE CONCENTBATOR.

Application filed November 5, 1924. Serial No. 747,903.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ALBERT S'rnBBINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Table Concentrators, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to table concentra tors, and more particularly to the novel construction of a concentrator deck.

Table concentrators are extensively used to separate ores and other materials in accordance with their differences of specific gravity,- and by varying the construction of the deck, and also the vibratory movement imparted to the deck and the strength of the air forced upwardly through the deck surface, these machines may be used to treat various grades of materials, ranging from materials as coarse as an 8 or 10 mesh to materials as fine as a 200 mesh or even finer.

In treating the coarser materials a strong air force may be used to lift the lighter particles, and an ener tic movement may he imparted to the doc which causes the materials of difi'erent specific gravity to separate rapidly. But in treating materials of fine mesh the force of the air employed must be very slight so as not to carry off the fine values as well as the tailings, and a long deck is desirable so that the materials may be subjected to the successive action of a large number of rifiles.

The novel deck of the present invention is designed more particularly to treat materials of fine mesh, and is so constructed that a large number of riflies are provided that terminate along a concentrate wall so that the values are gently treated by the riflies over and over again as they travel lengthwise of the .deck. This serves gradually'to separate the tailmgs from the very fine values and avoids stirrmg the values up .so that they will be carried off with the tailings.

An important feature of the present invention resides in a double deck construc- -tion consisting of a pair of deck surfaces secured side by side, and inclined transversely so that each deck surface slopes upwardly toward the other and is provided with a large number of inclined riflies that direct the concentrates toward a concentrate wall located at the crest formed by the two deck surfaces. This construction permits two long narrow deck surfaces to be operated by a single supporting frame, and is particularly well adapted for the treatment of fine materials, as the large number of riflies provided serve gently to stratify the fine materials.

Another feature of the invention resides in the construction by which a sin le conc'entrate wall is provided extending cm the material receiving end of the deck part way along the deck to receive the materials from both deck surfaces during the preliminary treatment ofthe materials, and is re laced along the remaining portion of the dec by a pair of spaced concentrate walls having a trough between them to receive the concentrates.

Other features of the invention and hovel combination of parts in addition to the above will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one good practical form thereof.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a table concentrator provided with a deck constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the operating shaft and eccentric operated sheave.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the deck shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3; v

Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 3 showing the right-hand end of the machine.

Fig. 6 on an enlarged scale is a front view of one of the doors along the concentrate wall; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through Fig. 6. s

The table concentrator shown in Fig. 1 may be provided with a supporting base of any well known or preferred construction and consists ofside frames formed of longitudinally extending rails 10 secured to uprights 11, and the side frames are connected by transversely extending cross braces 12.

Upon the main frame of the table concentrator is mounted the carriage 13 which is supported for back and forth movement. Various means may be provided for movabl sup orting the carriage upon its frame, an in t e construction shown the frameis provided with upwardly extendin bearing blocks 14 near the opposite en of theframe, and in each of which is mounted a rocking shaft having at each end a downwardly extending arm 16, and each arm 16 is provided with a laterally extending stub shaft 17. The stub shafts 17 are journaled in bearing blocks 18 secured to the under face of the carriage 13, the arrangement being such that the stub shafts 17 swing thru an arc of a circle as the carriage 13 moves back and forth.

Upon the carriage 13 is mounted the double deck of the present invention and various means may be provided for imparting a back and forth movement to this deck to promote travel of the materials lengthwise thereof. One simple but satisfactory form of operating means is shown in the drawing, wherein a cable 19 is provided, one

end of which is secured at 20 to the carriage 13. This cable passes around a grooved idle sheave 21 mounted upon a shaft 22 carried by the main frame, and the opposite end of this cable is yieldingly secured to the frame by means of ,a bolt 23 having a coiled spring 24 mounted upon the bolt and confined between a cross beam 12 of the main frame, and an adjustable nut 25 uponthe bolt. The arrangement is such that the cable 19 yieldingly urges the carriage and deck mounted thereupon in a right-hand direction.

The means shown for forcing the deck in a left-hand direction and then releasing it to move in a right-hand direction under the action of thespring 24 consists of a cable 26 secured at 27 to the carriage 13 and an intermediate portion of this cable passes around a grooved sheave 28 mounted upon an eccentric 29 upon the eccentric shaft 30, the ends of which shaft are journaled in the bearing blocks 31 secured to the supporting frame. The opposite end of the cable 26 is anchored to the main frame by an adjustable The eccentric 29 is constructed 28 and an anti-friction bearing-33 of any preferred construction may be provided between the eccentric and sheave to reduce friction when the former-rotates in the latter. The eccentric shaft 30 may be'rotated by a pulley 34, whereupon the eccentric sheavewill be moved back and forth by its eccentric to tension the cable 26 so that it will pull the deck in a left-hand direction crest extending lengthwise of the deck. The deck surfaces 35 and 36 are preferably perfo rated and air under pressure may be forced into the chamber 37 below the deck by a fan 38 mounted upon the main frame and having its discharge pipe 39 connected to the deck by a flexible conduit 40. Thematerials to be treated are delivered to the deck by the hopper 41 and the oppositely inclined deck surfaces 35 and 36 preferably extend into the hopper, as best shown in Fig. 4. The rateat which the materials escape from the hopper 41 may be controlled by adjusting the slidinggate 42, which may be secured in the desired position of adjustment by the thumb nuts 43, and the lower end of. this gate preferably'is approximately V-shaped' to conform to the slope of the oppositely inclined deck surfaces 35 and 36.

By constructing the deck of a pair of oppositely inclined deck surfaces, each surface "is relatively long and narrow and may be provided with a large number of diagonally disposed rifiles 44, which extend from the lower edge of each deck surface towards the concentrate wall 45 provided at the crest formed by the two deck surfaces' The arrangement is such that as the materials travel lengthwise of the deck, due to the progressive movement imparted thereto by the operating means described, the heavier materials or concentrates will travel along the rifliesupwardly towards the concentrate wall while the lighter materials or tailings will flow over the riffies, due to the lateral inclination of the deck surfaces towards a tailing trough 46 at each'side of the double deck. The concentrate wall 45 mounted near the hopper end of the deck. is provided at its opposite sides with the buffer blocks 47; the arrangement is such ,that as the materials travel along the rifiies 44 towards the concentrate wall theywill pile up against the buffer blocks 47 so that they will flowlaterally over one or more adjacent rifiies and then travel along these new rifiles for further treatment, thus being subjected again and again to the separating operation of the inclined riflies.

After the materials being treated have traveled some distance along the concentrate wall 45 the values may be sufficiently separated from the tailings to make it desirablev to draw off the values or concentrates; The single concentrate wall 45 therefore does not extend the entire length branchesout, as shown, to form the spaced concentrate walls 48 and 49, having the concentrate trough 50 formed between them, and the spaced walls 48 and 49 are provided with openings 51, controlled by slidable of the deck, but is constructed so that it gates 52. which may be opened as desired todraw off the concentrates that have accumulated along. the concentrate walls, and

as the wall 45, so that the separating opera tion may be continued thruout the entire length of the deck. The tailings which find their way into the side troughs 46 travel along these troughs until they escape from the end thereof into the chute 54, while the concentrates that pass thru the openings 51 into the trough 50 travel along this trough and are discharged from the end thereof into the chute 55.

The materials delivered by the few inclined rifiles at the discharge end of the deck may be directed by funnel-shaped pipes 56 into the concentrate chute 55.

As a result of the deck construction described, a single table concentrator frame may be provided with a pair of long, narrow deck surfaces, each ofwhich may be rovided with a large number of inclined rlfiles 44 by means of which the concentrates are directed towards the concentrate walls so that they will pile up against the buffer blocks 47 and then fall over laterally for retreatment by other rililes, thus re eating this operation again and again as t e materials travel lengthwise of the long deck surfaces. As stated, the present deck construction is designed more particularly for the treatment of-fine materials, and'since it is difficult to separate the very fine values from the concentrates, the repeated treatment just mentioned is necessary in order to completely separate the values from the tailings. As stated, the inclined deck surfaces 45 are preferably provided with apertures which permit air to be forced upwardly thru the materials being treated as this serves to lift the lighter materials and helps to separate the tailings from the values, but a very slight air pressure must be employed to prevent the fine values from being llfted by the air. By providing the sliding gates 52 for the openings 51, each gate may be raised only sufiiciently to permit the heavier materials lying close to the declcsurface to escape thru the opening and this Wlll exclude the lighter materials, so that they will travel along the deck surface for further treatment,

What is claimed is 1. A double deck for a table concentrator, comprising in combination, a pair of deck surfaces extending side ,by side and each 1nclined transversely at the same inclination thruout its length and in a direction so that the surfaces slope upwardly toward their adj acent edges, a concentrate wall common to the two deck surfaces and extending part way along the crest formed by the meeting deck surfaces, a pair of spaced parallel concentrate walls extending along the deck surfaces for another portion of the length of the deck and forming a material receiving passage between them, rifiies extending in a diagonal direction upon each deck surface and terminating along the concentrate walls,

buffer blocks along said walls against which the concentrates pile up, and gates along the spaced concentrate walls for drawing off the concentrates.

2. A double deck for a table concentrator, comprising in combination, a pair of deck surfaces extending side by side and each sloping transversely thruout its length and in a direction so that the surfaces slope upwardly toward their adjacent edges, a concentrate wall common to the two deck surfaces and extending part way along the crest formed by the meeting deck surfaces, a pair of spaced parallel concentrate walls extending along the deck surfaces for another portionof the deck and forming a material receiving passage between them, rifiles extending in a diagonal direction upon each deck surface, buffer blocks along said first mentioned wall against which the concentrates pile up, and gates along the spaced concentrate walls for drawing ofi the concentrates.

3. A double deck for a table concentrator, comprising in combination, a pair of long narrow deck surfaces extending side by side and each sloping transversely thruout its length and in a direction so that the surfaces slope upwardly toward their adjacent edges, a concentrate wall common to the two deck surfaces and extending for a substan-. tial distance along the crest formed b the meeting deck surfaces. a pair of space concentrate walls extendinga substantial distance along the remaining portion of the deck and forming a material receivin passage between them, rifiles extending diagonally over each deck surface, and a trough between the spaced concentrate walls for receiving the concentrates.

4. A double deck for a table concentrator, comprising in combination, a air of deck surfaces extending side by si e and each sloping transversely thruout its length and in a direction so that the surfaces slope upwardly toward their adjacent edges, a concentrate wall common to the two deck surfaces and extending part way along the crest formed by the meeting deck surfaces, a pair of spaced parallel concentrate walls extending along the deck surfaces for another ortion of the deck and forming a materia receiving passage between them, riflles extending diagonally over the deck surfaces toward the concentrate walls and'arranged in substantially parallel relation, and means for drawing off the concentrates at intervals along the s aced concentrate walls.

5. A dou le deck for a table concentrator, comprising in combination, a pair of deck 6. A double deck for a table concentrator,

surfaces extending side by side and each sloping transversely thruout its length and in a dlrection so that the surfaces slope upwardly toward their adjacent edges, a concentrate Wall common to the two deck surfaces and extending part way along the crest formed by the meeting deck surfaces, a pair of spaced parallel concentrate walls extending along the deck surfaces for another rtion of the deck and forming a materia receiving passage between them, rifiies extending in a diagonal direction over the deck surfaces toward the concentrate walls, and vertically adjustable gates disposed at intervals along the spaced concentrate wall and adapted to open upwardly from the concentrate surface to permit only the concentrates lying close to the concentrate surface to escape.

comprising in combination, a surfaces extending side by si e and each sloping transverselythruout its length and in a direction so that the surfaces slope upwardly toward their adjacent edges, a palr of spaced approximately parallel concentrate walls extending from the discharge end of the deck lengthwise of the deck and forming between them a long narrow trough disposed between the upper edges of the deck surfaces to receive the concentrates, riflies extending in a diagonal direction over the deck sur-- faces to direct concentrates against the concentrate walls, and means for drawin oil the concentrates at spaced intervals ong each concentrate wall.

In testimony whereof. I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT H. STEBBINS.

Hair of deck 

